Seriously?

Hey, if a campus crank can wish for personal calamity to befall U.S. forces in Iraq, why not fantasize about a volley of Kent State-style militia musketry rattled off in his general direction?

Not that Nicholas De Genova, an untenured prof of something or other at Columbia University, is worth the effort.

Even if he did publicly call for a resounding American defeat in Iraq.

And worse:

"I personally would like to see a million Mogadishus," said DeGenova at Thursday's on-campus pro-Saddam rally.

The reference, of course, was to the 1993 Mogadishu, Somalia, firefight in which 18 U.S. soldiers died - with the body of one American later dragged through the dusty streets in a grotesque victory lap.

So, let's see: Eighteen dead Americans, times 1 million, equals - hmmmm . . .

A lot of dead Americans.

Sort of puts what passes for political discourse up in Morningside Heights into perspective, doesn't it?

Columbia, of course, couldn't summon the courage even to address what its hireling had said - let alone condemn it.

"Assistant Professor Nicholas De Genova was speaking as an individual at a teach-in," said the university. "He was exercising his right to free speech."

Well, now. Who would have imagined otherwise?

Besides, free speech isn't the issue.

It's De Genova's worldview that is so disturbing - and the fact that he is in a position to poison so many young minds.

"[De Genova's] statement does not in any way represent the views of Columbia University," ended the brief statement.

But isn't De Genova himself a representative of Columbia University?

He's on the faculty.

Along with a gaggle of Columbia-based lefty lugnuts, he was speaking Thursday night as a professor, on university property, largely to university students - when he called down disaster on thousands of brave young Americans.

His words - protected though they may be - were at best scandalous and at worst seditious.

Of course, Columbia can keep Nicholas De Genova around it if wants to - but it's not compelled to.

Freedom of expression works two ways, after all.

Oh, and just kidding about Kent State.

Free speech, don't you know.